21/12/09: It’s going to be a black Christmas

Over a little more than the past two months, Karula has begun exhibiting behavior, indicating that the final curtain has begun falling on her motherly duties towards Luangwa and Kafue.

She has been paying a little more olfactory interest in her environment than usual, seemingly irresistibly distracted by scent, carrying secret messages, left by male leopards moving through her area.

Upon detecting these scents, she spends a good amount of time investigating this scent with a keen interest, no doubt assessing the owner of these markings. After gathering all the facts that only her kind can gather from such markings, she immediately leaves a message of her own. We have seen Mafufunyane, one of the dominant male leopards whose territory overlaps partially with Karula’s, moving through the same areas, shortly after Karula has passed through, and he too seems to be lured by these scent messages left by Karula.

Karula is still being the ideal mother leopard as she is still leading her boys to kills that she has made, ensuring they are well fed sub adults, being around 14 months old now. This new shift in her behavior towards her boys has become very evident in her attitude towards her boys, as we witnessed with some of my return guests, now friends, a few days back.

We found Karula with Luangwa and Kafue one morning and judging by Luangwa’s behavior, seemed to be leading them to a kill. Luangwa was over come by joy and confusion this morning. Joy at seeing his beloved mom again, but confusion for him as any sort of physical contact he sought from his mom was rebuffed with some aggressive hissing and warning snarls from his mother, and a side of their relationship which he has never experienced before and one which has sent his little head into a state of turmoil.

He became more and more desperate trying everything he could think up to melt this cold thirty meter barrier around her heart. But with each approach her aggression intensified, indicating to him that she was close to breaking point. Shortly after he came strutting towards her, in his best, I am your cutest cub on the planet, and curling his tail high over his back for extra effect. His mom was close to having enough of his beguiling behavior and turned to face him with a penetrating hiss and full display of her impressive canines, causing Luangwa to give off pathetic cub-like squeals and plenty of chuffing. His response earned him no response from his mom other than her lying down and intensifying her display of aggression.

Kafue was unfazed by any of this behavior, as there was no way he could miss the affection he never had from his mother and kept sauntering off in his own independant way and lay down to await the end of his brothers turmoil. Luangwa was clearly desperate for some sort of affection and moved up to Kafue for some comfort. Even when rubbing against Kafue, it was clearly his mothers attention that Luangwa craved as he did not take his eyes off his mother during his affection seeking foray with his brother.
Kafue, the real boy of the family just kept to cleaning his paws and alternately washing his face.

Karula’s hormones are clearly kicking into high gear, moving her mind and body into breeding mode and, she is still scent marking and face rubbing on every available bush in her neighborhood.

There has been a different male leopard through the area, some have branded as the Jordaan’s male, an assumption I am skeptical about, as any male leopard other than Mafufunyane seen in the area seems to be assumed to be The Jordaan’s male.

I hope Karula hooks up with somebody other than Mafufunyane, as some new blood in the gene pool would be a good thing. A fresh and new romantic week with a new male would do her some good, but obviously the choice is hers and exclusively hers.

As for Luangwa I think it is going to be a black Christmas. He should take some lessons from his more mature brother and just grow up. The sooner he does, the better his chances.

@ Carol...you will find that a lot of the animals who are known to the area are given many names depending on who is doing the talking. Guides from various camps have different names for the same animal. Tingana and Saseka also have different names depending on where the guide is based.

Thanks Graham...interesting article. I've enjoyed watching the interaction between the three leopards. Looking forward to seeing Karula again as a parent. It'll be interesting if she has a male and a female this time. She seems to always have a favourite though...first Sesaka and then Induna.

Yep WE watched that moment from a different angle. It's never easy for a Mom to show the exit door to her beloved son, but Karula has to do it, but she doesn't do it on a constant basis yet, only yesterday (21st pm) she accepted that Luangwa (Induna) sat almost on her head to feed on the rest of the Impala carcass up in that Marula tree... her patience is still not worn off for that kiddo.

As for my dear Mixo (Kafue), he has already shed all the tears he had yearning for his Mom's love ... and through all this, he remained the sweet curious little cub he was when some thought he was a girl. I REALLY LOVE HIM!

P.S. I suggest that you read Graham's bio if you want to know where come from the names of Luangwa and Kafue. Thank you Graham!